KWASO, Ghana, 14th September: President John Dramani Mahama has outlined plans to develop an interconnected network of expressways and orbital roads to improve the movement of people and goods across Ghana.
Speaking at Kwaso in the Ashanti Region during a ceremony to mark the completion of the Ghana Armed Forces’ right-of-way clearance for the Accra-Kumasi Expressway, President Mahama said the project formed part of a broader vision to transform Ghana’s transportation corridors.
He said his administration’s ambition was to eventually establish an expressway connecting Aflao in the east to Elubo in the west, while extending the Accra-Kumasi corridor towards northern Ghana.
President Mahama also identified the Eastern and Western Corridors as important components of the broader transport network.
“We’re already doing Accra to Kumasi expressway. Our intention is to continue this expressway from Accra to the North. We also are working on the Eastern Corridor,” he said.
According to him, the Eastern Corridor is expected to be completed in its current form by 2027, after which further work would be undertaken on the Western Corridor.
The President said the Accra-Kumasi Expressway would also connect major orbital roads being developed around the Greater Accra and Ashanti regions.
In the Ashanti Region, he pointed to the Kumasi Outer Ring Road, which is being developed under the government’s Big Push infrastructure programme.
He explained that the orbital would allow heavy trucks travelling from the south towards the north and Burkina Faso to bypass Kumasi city.
The Accra Orbital, he said, would similarly allow vehicles travelling from Aflao towards destinations such as Kumasi, Winneba and Cape Coast to bypass central Accra.
President Mahama said the Accra-Kumasi Expressway would connect these two orbital systems, creating a more efficient network for long-distance traffic.
The President also disclosed that space had been reserved along the Accra-Kumasi Expressway corridor to accommodate a future railway line linking Accra and Kumasi.
He said the government would separately develop a financing plan through the Ministry of Finance to revitalise Ghana’s railway system.
President Mahama said history showed that countries that achieved significant economic growth invested heavily in transport corridors.
He cited the development of major highways and railway links in the United States as examples of how transport infrastructure could open up markets and stimulate economic activity.
He also linked the vision to Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, who initiated the motorway connecting Accra and Tema.
President Mahama said subsequent governments had not done enough to continue that vision but expressed confidence that the Accra-Kumasi Expressway would mark the beginning of a new era.
“My vision is that we’ll have an expressway connecting Aflao all the way to Elubo in the West,” he said.
He added that his expectation was for future administrations to continue expanding the expressway network and connecting communities across Ghana.
According to the President, the ultimate objective is to make the transportation of passengers and goods across the country faster, safer and more efficient, while supporting economic development.
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh(#RomeoWrites✍️)/ Presidential Affairs Correspondent | Ghana 🇬🇭
